"Don't touch me," Dom heard the woman say. Her voice was cold and matched the dark ice of her eyes.
"I think you'd better do as she says," Dom suggested as he approached. His voice was calm and belied his anger.
"Who the hell are you?" the man snarled, his eyes still on Lani. Karl tapped him on the shoulder from the other side and he spun around.
"We're friends of hers." Karl smiled at Lani. "Hi, sweetie, how are you?"
She blinked, but then smiled back. "Fine, thanks. Didn't see you there."
Dom watched with satisfaction as the man's eyes grew wide. Karl was lean, but over six feet tall and well-muscled; Dom was shorter and had broad shoulders. Together, he knew they presented a fairly tough image. So said the PR department, which had forced them into a photo shoot along with Karl's defense partner Bobby. Too bad Bobby isn't here, Dom thought. This guy would probably piss himself.
Lani didn't know who these guys were, but the tall one had a devilish grin and a glint in his blue eyes that she couldn't resist. The shorter—but by no means short—one didn’t smile, but he had an intensity about him that appealed to her. When the tall one had pretended to be her friend, she had grabbed at the ploy.
The man looked from Karl to Dom, gaping until he heard the police sirens. Finally, Lani thought. She had begun to think they'd never show up.
The man turned to the woman he'd been arguing with and grabbed her hand. "Come on," he growled.
Karl's smile never wavered as he stepped aside to let them pass. They were just out the door when a cop stepped out of his vehicle and in front of them. Whatever he said was enough to send the woman off on another rant.
Lani, Dom and Karl stood and watched while the first cop's partner came around, and then a second police cruiser pulled up. The man who'd been arguing looked panicked, and began shouting over the woman. Two more cops, a man and a woman, got out of the second car and exchanged glances with their colleagues.
Lani almost laughed at the efficiency with which the man and woman were quieted, cuffed, and put into the first car. The first two cops drove off, and the second pair came in and began speaking with the manager.
She turned to Karl. "Thanks so much. I guess I didn't think that through very clearly." She held out her hand. "I’m Lani."
"Delighted to meet you." Karl kissed her hand with a flourish and she laughed. "I'm Karl. The strong, silent one over here is my friend, Dominic."
"Dom," he corrected, shaking Lani's hand. "Nice to meet you." Her hand felt small and smooth in his; he was self-conscious of his own large, rough ones.
"Hello, Karl. Hello, Dom," she said with a smile. "Thanks again." She shook her head. "I don't know quite what got into me. I guess I was just frustrated. Can't work at home, can't work here. You'd think people could scream at each other in the privacy of their own homes."
Karl waved his hand dismissively. "Then where would we get our excitement?" He grinned and Lani laughed again.
"I can live without that kind of excitement," Dom said dryly. He wondered why it bothered him to see Karl flirting with Lani. Karl flirted with pretty much any woman, and had done it plenty of times in Dom's presence. Dom had never minded before.
"So can I," Lani agreed, and Dom felt a small flash of smug satisfaction.
"What's a pretty girl like you doing working on a Saturday?" Karl asked.
Lani laughed out loud. She liked a little flirting, and this guy seemed harmless.
"Have you ever tried getting work done in an office? Impossible. I came here to get some peace and quiet. I'll think twice about that next time."
"Excuse me." The three looked over to see one of the cops approaching. "I was wondering if I could get statements about what happened here." They agreed and took turns answering questions. After they were finished, Lani glanced over at her computer and sighed.
"Well, pardon me, but I should get back to work," she said. "I don't mean to be a broken record, but thanks so much for your help."
"Lani, do you like hockey games?" Karl asked.
Dom eyed his friend warily. If he was working on asking Lani out, his best friend and defenseman might need a talking to.
"Love them," she said, a bit surprised. "I watch on TV whenever I can, but it's been years since I've been to one."
"Tell you what," Karl said, "there's a game tonight and I have two extra tickets. I'll leave them at the will call window. What's your last name?"
"Montgomery," she said, then felt embarrassed. "Look, you don't have to do that. It's really sweet, but—"
"Not a problem." Karl shook hi shead. "I can't use them and so I'd like to know someone can. If you can't make it, don’t worry about it." He ignored the look Dom was giving him.
"All right." Lani smiled. "Thanks." She was about to say something else when someone yelled her name.
"Lani! Lani!" A tall, busty woman with copper-colored hair came charging through the doors and nearly bowled Lani over with a bear hug. Dom couldn't stop his grin when he saw Karl's face. If ever a man had been smitten, it was Karl. He wouldn’t have to worry about Karl and Lani after all.
"What happened?" the woman asked. "I saw the cops outside. Was there a robbery or something? Are you okay?" She patted Lani's shoulders as though checking for injury.
"Relax, Deanne," Lani said, laughing. "I'm fine. It was nothing so exciting. Just Romeo and Juliet having a spat. Dee, this is Karl and Dom. They kept me from getting in over my head."
"Oh, thank you so much!" Before either could react, Dee gave Dom and Karl each the same bear hug she'd given Lani, plus a loud buss on the cheek.